Tuesday, January 21, 2014

Review: Downton Tabby by Chris Kelly

Review:
I love Downton Abbey and I ADORE cats, so Chris Kelly's recently released parody was a no-brainer for me. This slim volume condenses three seasons of the popular costume soap, following the upstairs and downstairs antics of turn-of-the-century England's feline population through the sinking of the Titanic to the aftermath of the Great War. The double-page photographic spreads, reenacting key scenes from the series with a distinctly catty thread is worth the purchase price alone (I'm particularly fond of Mattmew Clowder and Thomas Farel -- the latter the "handsome but evil First Footcat" -- preparing to dine on rat in the Verdun trenches -- it's not as gross as it sounds, ha!). Peppered between the photos and history "lessons" are sections like "Uninvited But Necessary Words from the Dowager" and "How to Keep a Secret at Downton Tabby" (i.e., why bother?). A cute and clever Downton pastiche, Downton Tabby is a nicely-designed, humorous read sure to bring a smile to the face of cat lovers and costume drama aficionados alike.About the book:Welcome to Downton Tabby

Here, the aristocrats of the
animal kingdom dwell in stately splendor, sleeping, grooming, sleeping
some more, and being fed by their downstairs cats, unaware that their
way of life—providing work for others—is about to be swept away by the
tides of history . . . and runaway cars.

The fur will fly.

This
humorous parody provides essential information for preserving their
Golden Age, including How to Keep a Secret at Downton Tabby, How to
Argue with Lord Grimalkin About His Most Deeply Held Beliefs, and some
Uninvited but Necessary Words from the Dowager.